Western "Supremacy" in Danger (1894)
Lincoln-esq "Chicago" sits on his small buildings and jealous of NYC skyscrapers.
This satirical map reflects the pride of New York City as it moved toward municipal consolidation and ever taller buildings ("size and high buildings too") - and therefor to unchallenged "supremacy" over Chicago.
Chicago had taken the lead from New York in the early 1890s in the construction of skyscrapers, and the pride of place of the world's tallest commercial building; this is reflected in the buildings shown at the left. New York had caught up in 1895 with the completion of the 20-story American Surety Building, apparently standing behind the proud figure in bulging waistcoat carrying the "Greater New York Bill." That bill had been enacted by the New York State Legislature in March 1896, establishing a commission to draw up a charter for the consolidated City and to propose steps for implementation. The New York Times of March 5, 1896, headlined, "THE OPPOSITION SILENCED - Greater New York Bill Amended by the Committee. . . . It Is Now Believed the Consolidation Will Soon Be Effected."
This cartoon map appeared in Punch two weeks later. The unhappy, Lincoln-esq Chicago figure sits atop some of that city's less-attractive, low-rise local businesses: slaughter house, pork packing, stock yards, dressed sheep emporium, etc. Looking at maps of "Unexplored Regions of Patagonia," "Wilds of Central Africa," and "Mars," he laments: "That fellow is going to beat me on size and high buildings, too; - I'll have to annex the rest of the universe right away, or I'm a goner!"
Title: Western "Supremacy" in Danger
Sub Title: That fellow [NYC] is going to beat me on size and high buildings, too; - I'll have to annex the rest of the universe right away, or I'm a goner!"
Collection: P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography, #8548. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
Creator: Opper, Frederick Burr
Source: Puck
Date: March 21, 1894